In a show of solidarity for the people of Burma, more than 400 people gathered as a sea of red in Wellington's Civic Square on Saturday.
The colour was symbolic of the robes the monks in Burma wear as they line the streets of Burma in peaceful protest of the military junta.
Protests in Burma have grown over the last month as thousands of monks have taken to the streets in response to growing poverty in the country.
Analysts say fuel price hikes were the last straw for the monks, who were witnessing the Burmese people suffering increasing poverty.
On August 15 the military junta doubled the price of petrol and diesel, while the price of compressed gas – used to fuel buses – increased five-fold.
Executive Director for Amnesty International New Zealand Ced Simpson addressed the crowd with a plea for New Zealanders to assist the Burmese people.
"Our challenge is to stand in solidarity with the people, the monks, the students, the ordinary people, the politicians, the members of the national Leaders of Democracy, and use our freedom, the freedom we enjoy in Aotearoa New Zealand to stand up for their freedom in their hour of need."
He said state reports showed 3000 people had been arrested and held in detention, and Internet connections have been closed down to stop information getting to the outside world.
Green Party MP Sue Kedgley joined the call for support and challenged the New Zealand Government's response.
"We, the people in New Zealand must do much more than we have done so far...we must do more than simply deny the visa's of the junta to come to New Zealand."
She said the Burmese people have risked everything in their uprising over the last few weeks.
"What they have done effectively is to hand the struggle over to the international community. We are being asked as the international community to do our bit to isolate the military regime - to put pressure on the military regime."
We cannot wait for the United Nations to impose sanctions, Ms Kedgley said, "because we know that the Chinese government will no doubt apply a veto on a UN Security Council resolution – as they have in the past."
She called for New Zealand to impose sanctions, allow no imports, freeze assets and withdraw the $18 million of superannuation money invested in an oil company with close links to the military junta in Burma.
"These are small things that we can do – but they are powerful symbols and New Zealand in the past has taken a strong, independent stance in the world."
Labour MP Marion Hobbs said the oppression was not over and the pressure must be kept on Burma.
She passed on a text message of support from Prime Minister Helen Clark, who is currently in Europe.
President of Council of Trade Unions Ross Wilson called for support for Aung San Suu Kyi's plea for boycotts.
"More than 50 percent of the GDP [in Burma] goes to military and military hardware."
Speakers from the local Burmese community said the Burmese people were living in fear.
The message they wanted to send through today's rally was "to ensure the release of all political prisoners, to free elected democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and to see economic sanctions and trade embargoes forcefully imposed on Burma."
Supporter of the rally, Abbi Berman, said she had been following what was happening and was becoming more and more concerned.
"I wanted to actually do something."
She said she wants people to remember what its happening in Burma and keep the pressure on governments.
"We need to act rather than just say that you're concerned. This is the least we can do."
The crowd responded in high spirits to the songs the ukelele players shared in the interludes.
Similar rallies were being held in London, Australia, Europe, UK, US, Netherlands, South America, Japan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.
The protests in Burma are the largest since the uprising in 1988 where the government killed at least 3000 in a brutal crackdown.
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